Changes in Chinese work values: A comparison between the One-Child, Social Reform and Cultural Revolution Generations.

Abstract

Purpose – This paper aims to investigate the changes in Chinese workers’ values by comparing the work-related values of the One-Child Generation, the Social Reform Generation and the Cultural Revolution Generation. Design/methodology/approach – A survey was conducted with 918 Chinese employees, the vast majority of them working for Chinese domestic firms in Guangzhou, Shaoguan, and Harbin. The collected data were analysed mainly using ANOVA, Tukey’s pairwise comparison and Kruskall-Wallis tests. Findings – The One-Child Generation was found to place less importance on income and job security, while possessing higher tolerance towards the practice of nepotism, than the older two generations. We found no significant differences in the levels of intrinsic values and altruism among the three generations. Additionally, our results indicate overall low altruistic values and high extrinsic values across all three generations of Chinese workers. Originality/value – China’s unprecedented generation of only-children as workers is an unknown factor. It is only now, over a decade after the One-Child Generation first entered the job market, that a comparative study between their work values and those of previous generations has become possible. This study exploits the momentum and is one of the first studies to include the One-Child Generation in the investigation of work value changes in Chinese society.